Key facts
- Republican Zach Lahn is running for Iowa governor on a platform that criticizes industrial agriculture and its impact on public health.
- Lahn believes fertilizers, pesticides, and other farm chemicals contribute to Iowa's high cancer rates.
- Lahn won a surprise victory in the Republican primary, securing Donald Trump's endorsement after the election.
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has actively supported Lahn's campaign and MAHA's agenda in Iowa.
- Major agricultural companies like Corteva, Bayer, and Syngenta are facing Lahn's vows to sue and break up their alleged monopolies.
- Iowa has the second-fastest growing cancer rate in the U.S., with links to nitrates and glyphosate identified by researchers.
Republican Zach Lahn is challenging the established agricultural industry in Iowa with a gubernatorial campaign focused on the health impacts of industrial farming. Lahn argues that fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals are seeping into the state's water supply and contributing to high cancer rates, a stance that has put the state's Republican party in a difficult position.
Lahn's campaign has gained traction, including an upset victory in the June primary where he defeated a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump. Trump later endorsed Lahn. The candidate, who largely self-funded his campaign until his primary win, has not accepted corporate donations from the agribusiness sector. Instead, he has garnered support from figures associated with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has actively campaigned for Lahn in Iowa.
The powerful agricultural industry in Iowa, a major economic driver and political force, is reportedly unsettled by Lahn's platform. Representatives from the Iowa Soybean Association have acknowledged the need for agriculture to take responsibility for improving water quality. Lahn has specifically targeted major agricultural companies such as Corteva, Bayer, and Syngenta, vowing to sue them and break up their alleged monopolies. He has also opposed measures that would shield pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits and criticized Trump's executive order expanding the domestic production of glyphosate.
Iowa faces significant health challenges, with the second-fastest growing cancer rate in the country. Researchers have linked common diagnoses like colon cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma to nitrates from fertilizer runoff and glyphosate, respectively. These concerns have become a prominent issue in community conversations, elevating their attention among policymakers. Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Rob Sand is also campaigning on similar issues of water pollution and corruption, further intensifying the political landscape for the governor's race.